The mission to eradicate avian disease
Poultry production improves the lives of many by improving nutrition and providing an effective source of income that can lift people, particularly those living in rural communities, out of poverty. However, diseases such as avian flu can be financially devastating for farmers and can spread to humans globally as pandemics through migratory birds.
The mission of the UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases (CERAD) is to serve as a research network to tackle avian diseases in the two countries. Set up in 2015, CERAD began to investigate avian tumour diseases and develop innovative vaccines.
Avian leukosis was a major problem crippling many Chinese poultry farms, particularly in the native breeds of chickens. Drawing from previous experience of eradicating avian leukosis from the UK, the CERAD team provided critical assistance to eradication programmes in China so that direct losses from the disease reduced by £35 million.
Joint research also led to the application of innovative gene editing technologies to develop recombinant vaccines that could simultaneously protect against multiple avian diseases, and the team is currently in talks with commercial companies in China to translate this innovation into vaccines.
Collaborative research between UK and Chinese partners have also resulted in exchange visits of young scientists and doctorate students. CERAD also serves as the route and catalyst for further participation of UK scientists in China on different research projects.
A few years ago, my Langshan chicken farm suffered major losses due to avian leukosis. Using the advanced diagnostic tools and eradication protocols...we managed to reduce the losses significantly
Poultry farm owner in Shandong, China
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Caption: UK-CHINA Research and Innovation Partnership Fund world class research and innovation partnership
Newton Prize (logo)
Newton Fund (logo)
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Sino-British Centre for Research on Avian Diseases
Professor Venugopal Nair OBE, Pirbright Institute and Dr Zhiqiang Shen, Shandong Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy
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A workshop with a blue roof. The logo on the top of the building is Shandong Lvdu Bio-Sciences & Technology;
In the China-United Kingdom International Centre for Research on Avian Diseases, a researcher walks along the corridor.
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Speaker (Dr Zhiqiang Shen): These diseases, such as Avian Influenza, are highly variable infectious diseases.
They are constantly changing and affecting poultry industry and human health.
So it puts forward severe challenges to the prevention and control of avian diseases.
Supported by the Newton Fund,
We have established the UK-China Centre of Excellence for Research on Avian Diseases with the Pirbright Institute.
In the past five years, the UK team have given full play to their advantages in advanced technology research.
Like gene editing technology which has been applied to poultry diseases research and prevention.
Using gene editing technology, we developed a series of recombinant vaccines based on Marek’s virus vectors.
These vaccines are under pilot test and industrialisation.
Binzhou has significant advantages in talent and industrialisation,
which can rapidly industrialize UK’s advanced technology.
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Dr. Zhiqiang Shen is speaking in front of the camera with wooden bookcases in the back. Caption: Dr Zhiqiang Shen, Shandong Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy
Chickens are walking around in the incubator;
A close view of a chicken combing its hair;
A researcher is observing chickens in the incubator;
The researcher checks the chicken’s wings;
Dr. Zhiqiang Shen is speaking in front of the camera with wooden bookcases in the back;
A researcher is pulling a trolly loaded with eggs;
Eggs on the trolly pass by the camera;
A researcher holding a stack of eggs walk through his colleagues;
Many researchers are working on the table;
Researchers brush tawny potion on eggs;
Tawny potion drips down eggs;
A tube is extracting liquids from an egg;
Liquids in the tube flow towards a glass bottle;
Electron microscope screen displays the image of moving viruses;
Researchers are collecting liquids of eggs in a lab;
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Speaker (Dr Zhiqiang Shen)：
At the same time, we have many new technologies and processes in the development of Avian Leukosis and Avian Influenza vaccine.
These new technologies, processes and products have been industrialised very well.
Many of our vaccines have been sold in many places of China,
And even some have been exported to countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.
It has made an important contribution to the prevention and control of avian diseases.
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Dr. Zhiqiang Shen is speaking in front of the camera with wooden bookcases in the back.
Animal vaccine glass bottles are moving on the production line;
A work moves the animal vaccine glass bottles on the production line;
Workers check the glass bottles of animal vaccines from the production line;
Dr. Zhiqiang Shen is speaking in front of the camera with wooden bookcases in the back.
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The Newton Fund is devoted to achieving the
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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Global Goals for Sustainable Development
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Presented by
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Executive Producer
Zhan Zhang
Directed，Filmed，Edited by Manman Yang
Second Cameraman
Wei Wang
Produced by Believing is Seeing Studio Guangzhou
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Special thanks
UK Research and Innovation China
British Council
British Consulate General Guangzhou
Shandong Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy
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Newton Fund Delivery Partners
UK
Academy of Medical Sciences
British Academy
British Council
Met Office
Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Society
UK Research and Innovation
Newton Fund Delivery Partners
CHINA
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chinese Meteorological Administration
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Science and Technology
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
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© 2019 Newton Fund. All Rights Reserved
Sino-British Centre for Research on avian diseases
Project leads: Professor Venugopal Nair OBE, Pirbright Institute, UK and Dr Zhiqiang Shen, Shandong Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy, China
Delivery partners: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation and Shandong Binzhou Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine Academy
